Standing with Our Texas Friends

Howdy Y'all! Hurricane Harvey went and through a hissy fit and messed with Texas! My local paper, The Morning Call, has a picture, on the front page, of two Texans, one carrying a suitcase and the other holding onto him for dear life, wading through the pouring rain. The Tropical Storm Harvey brought feet, not inches, the article explains.
First of all, why do we call these storms, "Tropical?" It sounds like a party when in reality they are something decidedly NOT like a party for the people who live through and then clean up the mayhem that follows a Tropical Storm. Anyway, I thought it appropriate to post today about Texas. Texas is our beautiful country's second-largest state. They say things in Texas like, 'Don't mess with Texas' and 'Fixin' to." The state's motto is friendship. Friendship, Dear Reader, so as a gesture of friendship to my friends and fellow planet-dwellers in Texas, I offer the equivalent of a warm, dry blanket, food talk...

Ever notice how just talking about food can make  you feel better. Say the words, 'How about some fried chicken with buttermilk biscuits and a rich, Texas Sheet Cake for dessert?'  What about if someone offers you a cup of coffee or tea and a nice biscuit? Perhaps a salad or a slice of cold, juicy watermelon or a handful of chilled grapes is your ticket to satisfaction.  My type of food talk usually involves most any kind of talk about high tea, Greek pastry or French anything. Whatever surrounds and warms you is your "food talk" and precisely what you need in that moment. There is even a lovely scene in the book, "The Little Princess" by Frances Hodgson. Two little girls who are being punished and starved begin to pretend they are eating a scrumptious meal. They begin to imagine the tastes and textures of the fabulous foods and their spirits begin to elevate. They forget, just for that moment, how bleak and scared they feel. Food talk.

Food talk cannot restore the walls of a home or replace the family photos that got damaged in a storm. Food talk cannot make the tragedies surrounding a natural disaster disappear. Food talk cannot bring back what someone has lost...

What can food talk do? Food talk can nourish and restore a soul. Food talk can warm your heart and spirit. Food talk can ground you when you feel lost.

Most of us watched the ravages of Hurricane Harvey from the safety of our homes with our hands over our mouths, while shaking our head; including, other Texans. Most of you probably think "food talk" is pure silliness and that I am a little off my nut. Stay with me...

Send someone in Texas affected by the storm a prepaid charge card and a few hand-written recipes with favorite Texas foods on them. Maybe toss in a packet of the state flower, the bluebonnet with the envelop. Your friend can use the card to purchase food and plant the seeds as a gesture of renewal. I be you will touch their heart. I bet, they will know, you stand with them and with Texas.

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